There’s been another shake-up on the Vancouver sports radio scene as Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM) announces a refreshed lineup that will see former TSN 1040 (CKST-AM) talent like Jason Halford, Mike Brough, Karen Surman and Don Taylor join the station.
Starting Monday, Halford & Brough will kick off Sportsnet 650’s weekday programming with Halford & Brough in the Morning from 6 – 9 a.m. The duo had been hosting mornings on TSN Radio since 2019 and have been staples on the local sports scene for more than 14 years.
Scott Rintoul sees his midday show extended by an hour, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. He’ll be joined by Karen Surman, another casualty of the recent TSN Radio format flip. The Rintoul and Surman Show will air as a simulcast on Sportsnet 960 The FAN (CFAC-AM) in Calgary. As a result, The Big Show in Calgary will shift its run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. MT daily.
Bik & The Boss and Canucks Central, helmed by Bik Nizzar and station program director Craig MacEwen, will air in the 1 – 3 p.m. timeslot. The show sees producer Nizzar officially step into a co-hosting role after working primarily behind-the-scenes on the afternoon drive show and Canucks Central for the past four years.
The People’s Show, airing from 3 – 7 p.m., will feature Satiar Shah, Dan Riccio and Randip Janda, joined a few times a week by former TSN Radio personality Don Taylor, who’ll be a contributor to the show.
The changes mean that the station is parting ways with James Cybulski, Perry Solkowski and Andrew Walker. Cybulski had been with the network since 2013 and co-hosting mornings, alongside Solkowski on The Starting Lineup, since 2017.
“Since its inception, Sportsnet 650 has always strived to provide listeners with a front-row seat to the news, interviews and commentary from around the world of sports, but with a distinctly Vancouver flavour,” said MacEwen, in a release. “By refreshing our lineup with a combination of familiar voices and long-time fan-favourites, we look forward to serving up the entertaining content listeners have come to expect of Sportsnet 650, while also celebrating what makes Vancouver a truly unique sports market.”
“In making these changes, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with some talented and dedicated broadcasters,” said MacEwen. “We want to sincerely thank James Cybulski, Perry Solkowski and Andrew Walker for their passion and unwavering commitment to helping build Sportsnet 650 into the station it is today. We wish them all the very best in their next chapter.”
This is Sportsnet 650’s second overhaul of its lineup in the last 17 months after a round of previous layoffs at the network in Oct. 2019.
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